Letters to the Editor

Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 12:00am

No pain, no McCain

In light of the extremely critical remarks made by Sen. John McCain and several other top Republicans regarding president Barrack Obama’s position on the Iranian elections and resulting demonstrations by the Iranian citizens, we should all thank our lucky stars that Obama won the November elections.

That’s because in all probability were McCain our president then criticisms are not all he would be hurling. Probably bombs and missiles too, thereby furthering the Bush administrations colossal failures and finishing off our economy with another war of arrogance and aggression.

257 Comments on this post:

By:southernpatriot on 6/25/09 at 1:01

I am glad that Obama is not saber rattling over Iran. However, his recent troop surges differ greatly from his campaign promises to end the war by 'immediately begin pulling our troops out'. The fact that he has pretty much left the Bush war machine establishment in place is troubling.

By:idgaf on 6/25/09 at 1:16

Dooley he wouldn't have to. Just give the Israelis the green light and they will take out Hitler two. You libs are fools thinking you can let a regime like that have nuclear weapons. You create bigger problems.

By:dargent7 on 6/25/09 at 1:45

"You libs are fools"....What's that famous quote, "Fool me once it's on me, fool me twice"....McCain came out the day after the Iranian election with his crystal ball proclaiming it was "fraudulent". What would he suggest the USA do about it? Lob a couple of "surgical strikes" toward Tehran? Then of course there's Jong Il and his missiles blasting off every other day. Strike N. Korea too? If Republicans had any brains, which is in short supply in that party (Mark Sanford's "A Current Affair") they'd let countries that neighbor these "rougue" states handle the heavy lifting this time. Look where "Cowboy Diplomacy Bush" got us with Iraq.

By:bnakat on 6/25/09 at 3:33

Messrs. Clouse and D'Argent: Why are you gentlemen so obsessed with the senator, and the former administration? While their prowess in matters military is far superior to the incumbent, you won, as you so gleefully remind us. Actually, foreign affairs would have been Senator McCain's strong suit. Few former military officers would be trigger happy.

This is currently a very dangerous world, and unfortunately President Obama does not seem cognizant of this fact. The United states cannot suddenly become an isolationist nation. In addition to being a world player in economic affairs, we have treaties to honor, and allies to defend, while never neglecting the home front. Like it or not, Iran and North Korea are among our enemies, and a nice chat will not satisfy either. War should not be our first thought, but neither should it be "removed from the table."

We remain a world power, and many nations look to us for leadership. Under President Bush, several looked at us with disdain; on our present course, they will soon view us with ridicule. Neither friend nor foe responds favorably to weakness.

By:Captain Nemo on 6/25/09 at 5:54

Good morning.

If the election had gone the other way and McCain had won, I don't think that there would be any demonstration in Iran. The reason being, the Iranians would have thought that McCain would have been just continued the Bush saber rattling. Hearing what McCain has been saying, they would have been right.

Obama has brought a more stable and less threatening voice to the table. The moderates in Iran feel now there is an alterative voice coming from the America.

So now we have an New Revolution taking place in Iran.

By:Captain Nemo on 6/25/09 at 6:16

Verbal Cartoon

A spokesperson for You Got to br Kidding Publication adresses reporter that the book deal with South Carolina Governor Stanford has been cancelled. "We feel that this is not the right time for us to publish Governor Stanford book, How To Cheat On Your Wife. Maybe at a later time and with a different pen name it might be possible."

By:Captain Nemo on 6/25/09 at 6:19

I just think it is just funny that some people thing that Bush and Chaney are military geniuses.

By:dargent7 on 6/25/09 at 6:22

bnakat: I do not know if you are male or female, young or old, an intellect or mentally challenged. By your statements I can only conclude you're a rabid Republican, Bush supporter, and faint everytime you revisit the last national election results.
But, whatever Obama does, right or wrong, cannot match the horrendous evil GW Bush & Co. (yes, all of 'em) foisted on this country.
Anyone out there, who at this juncture, 7 years later, does NOT know with certainty, GW Bush & Cheney willfully invaded Iraq under FALSE pretenses, and KNEW Hussein was NOT behind 9/11, but assembled a puzzle for the American people to suggest he was, (note to Chief: spare me the ubiquitous links, please), should check themselves into a mental health facility, pronto.
Better yet, fly a team of psychiatrists in from Vienna to study "stupidity" and the mind.
The entire world knows what the USA willfully did, and under Bush lost all it's political, moral, and ethical muscle. Maybe once upon a time we were the world's authority on events, challenges, and dilemas. "Cowboy Diplomatic Bush, Cheney & Co." altered that forever. They made the mafia, in comparison, look like Boy Scouts.

By:idgaf on 6/25/09 at 7:20

7 forgettabout Bush its barrys game now and he is doing a poor job and bankrupting us. (3 times the amount of Bush in just 6 months)

He owns it.

By:dooley on 6/25/09 at 7:25

bnakat , What do you call military experience from Bush or McCain .? Bush was awol and cowardly for not taking his fli9ght qualification examination. Also it don't take much military experience to the end to be captured and remain a prisoner of war to the end . how much experience does it take to put on a flight suit backwards for a photo-op.

By:dooley on 6/25/09 at 7:29

I doubt if he will get much of your money id. Roosevelts policies worked - so will Obamas.

By:Dragon on 6/25/09 at 7:35

You will see this over and over and over. Each failure by the Obama administration will be countered with "it would have been worse". We are already seeing it with his economic policies and now with his foreign policies. Even healthcare will bankrupt America unless Obama institutes his "reforms".

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 8:14

Good morning, Nashville!

Great LTE, Dooley. The strain of the big job may have finished McCain off by now, leaving the fate of the republic in the hands of a bimbo without a clue. Survey sez: Palin now tops with Republicans.......you betcha!

As for Israel attacking Iran, that would require US or Turkish complicity, we control the airspace between Israel and Iran.

Mrs. Clinton's repeated promise to "obliterate" Iran, should Iran strike Israel, has emboldened the militant right-wingers who now control the Israeli government. Clinton's ominous promise did not differentiate between an Iranian first strike on Israel, or an Iranian retaliatory strike, in response to an Israeli first strike on Iran. This ambiguity is very dangerous, IMO.

War with Iran would be counter-productive and risk Russian and/or Chinese nuclear retaliation . The North Koreans might use such a US move as a flimsy pretext to invade the South. The subsequent soaring gas prices would cripple or reverse the nascent economic recovery.

By:pandabear on 6/25/09 at 8:15

Hey, here's one.

One day while in office, Bush said something really smart....

...no, that never happened.

sorry, I'll have to think of another example...

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:16

Dragon, healthcare has always been a problem, but our spineless leaders haven't had the stones to do anything about it...just like Social Security. Even Conservatives (present company excluded) realize that some sort of reform is necessary.

By:pandabear on 6/25/09 at 8:17

I got it,

One day while in office, Bush and Cheney were thinking up ways
to help Americans with their....um....let's see....hold on .....

...shoot, I'll back....

By:slacker on 6/25/09 at 8:25

Yeah, Bush did attempt to address Social Security but was quickly shut down by both sides, mostly dems. whose rational I suppose was WE, will be the party to fix S.S.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:32

panda,

"One day while in office, Bush said something really smart.......no, that never happened."

Hummm...well at least his speeches didn't get screwed up because his teleprompter messed up. But I guess, to each his own...I personally would rather have someone who believes in what's he's trying to say than someone who has to read everything he wants you to think he believes.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:34

As people are finding out...attaching the majority of your savings to the market is a bad idea. 401K(aput)...

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:34

Slacker

"Yeah, Bush did attempt to address Social Security but was quickly shut down by both sides, mostly dems. whose rational I suppose was WE, will be the party to fix S.S."

No problem...they'll fix BOTH at the same time.

If we went to a healthcare system similar to England's, then they could stop giving meds to people with advanced cancer here too...a DOUBLE savings, because there would be less older folks around and less strain on the healthcare system.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:36

Have no fear Chief, if they leave it alone, older folks won't be around anyway. That'll kill two birds with one stone (SS). I can understand why you're philosophy is "do nothing" now...

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 8:37

Bush's plans to privatize Social Security would have dove-tailed in nicely with the economic meltdown....we would need the mother or all TARPS to cover that bail-out.

When the public interest conflicts with the special interests, professional lobbyists move in with cash and talking points. The cash buys votes, the talking points provide the cover. Genuine health-care reform is unlikely, here in the US.

Without campaign finance reform, all meaningful reform is quite unlikely.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:39

Gdia,

"As people are finding out...attaching the majority of your savings to the market is a bad idea. 401K(aput)..."

True, IF you just put it out there and let people put it wherever they wanted to. The idea was to put it out there and let them control to a limited degree where the money went...similar to what federal employees can do with their 401Ks now.

Oh and it was only around 2.5% out of the total 15% that is taken for Social Security...meaning even if they lost it all they wouldn't lose everything. And it could have been setup to be put into extremely safe locations and would still have made more than it makes now.

BTW, doing this could have also possibly kept the government from doing the bailouts as it would have affected the stock market...well, at the very least it would have given them pause before doing what they did.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:41

Gdia,

"Have no fear Chief, if they leave it alone, older folks won't be around anyway. That'll kill two birds with one stone (SS). I can understand why you're philosophy is "do nothing" now..."

Given that I am on the tail end of the Baby Boomers, it's going to be empty regardless. I personally would rather it be the way it is now, than to be euthanized by proxy, so to speak.

Ah well, no one on Capital Hill listens to we the people anymore anyway, so they're going to do whatever they want to anyway...and like always, it'll be the American people who will have to pick up the pieces and fix things in the long run, as usual.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:41

Chief, in theory only. People who have 401K's in the safe locations are losing just as much.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:43

Loner,

"Bush's plans to privatize Social Security would have dove-tailed in nicely with the economic meltdown....we would need the mother or all TARPS to cover that bail-out."

It is my opinion that the TARPS aided in pushing us INTO the economic meltdown we are currently in. If we had just let the businesses that had screwed up to go bankrupt. we wouln't have had as bad a time.

Ah well, hindsight is 20/20 I guess. Sad part is, no one on the Hill believes this to this day.

By:Citizen on 6/25/09 at 8:44

bnakat: "Messrs. Clouse and D'Argent..." You'll find out, if you haven't already, that Clouse, D'Argent, Sgt. Nemo, and others are so full of hatred for the Bush administration and so "in bed with" everything liberal that their thinking has been permanently altered. There is little, if any, logic in their postings, just vitriol. In their view, EVERY bad thing in the world is Bush's or the Republicans fault while every GOOD thing in the world comes from Democrats or third world dictators.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:46

Gdia,

"Chief, in theory only. People who have 401K's in the safe locations are losing just as much."

Granted...but then, in theory only, the social security system was supposed to be foolproof too. We all know how that panned out.

So if you don't like that idea, would you at least accept the premise that we need to set social security funds in a separate account that cannot be touched by Congress, EVER, rather that putting them in a fund account that Congress has been writing IOUs to for years?

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 8:46

Chief, if you are in the military, as you claim, then you are already a beneficiary of "socialized medicine". How can you be so stubbornly against a public option for US citizens?

Same goes for our federal lawmakers, they are enjoying the comfort of knowing that their health-care needs are being addressed by the US government, but many of these lawmakers would deny that same peace of mind to their constiuents. Again, more GOP hypocrisy in action.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:47

Chief, that's incorrect. When they made the decision to allow Lehman to fail, it caused the market to crash. If GM, AIG, Fannie/Freddie were left alone it's likely that we would have suffered a complete financial meltdown. Even your hero Bush realized this.

But you're right, hindsight is 20/20, but in your case you don't even have light perception.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 8:47

Loner, if you're talking about the VA, that's not a good example to use in favor of a public option. Trust me.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 8:56

Loner,

"Chief, if you are in the military, as you claim, then you are already a beneficiary of "socialized medicine". How can you be so stubbornly against a public option for US citizens? "

Because Loner, I've seen the QUALITY of the "socialized medicine" in the military. Trust me, it isn't the greatest in the world. They look at their job as keeping you on your feet...it DOESN'T mean that they need to keep you out of pain, or make you completely well, or even give you your medicines on time. All it means is, they fix you (like a care on a repair line) and push you on down the conveyor belt and grab the next one - until the whistle blows and it's time to go home. You're still hurting? Here's some Ibuprofin...see you tomorrow.

I'm against it BECAUSE I've seen it in action, Loner.

"Same goes for our federal lawmakers, they are enjoying the comfort of knowing that their health-care needs are being addressed by the US government, but many of these lawmakers would deny that same peace of mind to their constiuents. Again, more GOP hypocrisy in action."

NOT just GOP hypocrisy, Loner. The healthcare needs for our lawmakers are the best, bar none! So is their retirement programs. Heck, they didn't even pay into the Social Security system for YEARS until they finally got caught and had to correct that in 1983.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/congressionalpensions.htm

By:slacker on 6/25/09 at 8:58

Apple stock is going up as we speak. Jobs got that new liver, and drinks are on the house.

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 8:58

Chief, the meltdown started on September, 15, 2008. Lehman Brothers pulled up stakes, they declared bankruptcy here , but apparently they still operate out of Israel - some claim that they moved 400 US billion to Israel just before making corporate aliyah. The ripple effect wiped out everybody from Bernie Madoff and AIG to GM and Chrysler. The TARP came after the crash, not before it. Hey, the whole TARP idea was the parting shot from Bush and Cheney.

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 9:08

The VA system locally works quite well, I transport a veteran to the Batavia, NY vets hospital, and the guy is a chronic complainer, yet he is happy with the service he receives at the vets hospital. If Doug is satisfied, it's gotta be good.

Chief, the health-care hypocrisy is overwhelmingly on the GOP side; most Democratic lawmakers want their constituents to have the kind of coverage that they, as lawmakers are entitled to.

By:slacker on 6/25/09 at 9:20

Loner, are you saying the lawmakers coverage, will be the same as their constituents?

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 9:53

Loner,

"Chief, the health-care hypocrisy is overwhelmingly on the GOP side; most Democratic lawmakers want their constituents to have the kind of coverage that they, as lawmakers are entitled to."

BS. They don't want them to have the SAME kind of coverage. They want them to have to be beholding more to the government so they can secure their votes.

The SAME kind of coverage? Please.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 10:07

So, who watched Obama last night?

I watched "Spock's Brain". Loved the part when Bones forgets the knowledge he just learned about how to put Spock's brain back in his head. He attached the nerves to Spock's vocal chords and Spock walked him through the procedure. Now THAT is the kind of health care we need!

By:Loner on 6/25/09 at 10:13

Chief, our federal lawmakers get the Cadillac of policies, most Democrats would like Cadillacs for their constituents, but would settle for Fords for everyone. The Republican lawmakers, on the other side of the aisle, enjoy their government-provided Cadillacs while telling the American people to take a hike.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 10:13

Gdia,

As I recall, Bones said at the end of the show "I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have done it."

Kirk: "Done what Bones."

McCoy: "I knew I should never have reattached his vocal nerves!"

It was something similar to that, wasn't it Gida?

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 10:14

I think that if Obama wasn't pressing the issue, Congress wouldn't give a rats ass about it.

By:gdiafante on 6/25/09 at 10:15

Something like that Chief. Good episode. Very "Matrix-like" as far as downloading the knowledge to Bones.

By:slacker on 6/25/09 at 10:16

gdiafante, I watched 20 min. and changed channels. It appeared so staged, not unlike Ron Popeil selling the veg-0-matic. Just my opinion of course.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 10:16

Loner,

"Chief, our federal lawmakers get the Cadillac of policies, most Democrats would like Cadillacs for their constituents, but would settle for Fords for everyone. The Republican lawmakers, on the other side of the aisle, enjoy their government-povided Cadillacs while telling the American people to take a hike."

Please...the ONLY thing any of the politicians up on the Hill are concerned about is getting reelected...PERIOD. The Democrats just want to do this so they can have bragging rights and also have their constituents be beholding to the government so they can get their votes. The Democrats are making this an issue to get reelected just as the Republicans are making fiscal responsibility one to defeat the Democrats. NEITHER side gives a good hydroelectric dam about their constituents.

Agreed. And I think Obama is pressing the issue because of numerous reasons, none of which are a consideration for the people. He's a politician, just like the rest of them. Foremost, I suspect, is a fulcrum to get reelected, IMO.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 10:19

Gdia,

"Something like that Chief. Good episode. Very "Matrix-like" as far as downloading the knowledge to Bones."

It was a good episode. But frankly, I like the Next Generation better. The officers act more like officers...and if you wore a red shirt, you wouldn't necessarily be killed off.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 10:21

Darn! Looks like California is about to, fiscally speaking, slide off into the ocean. Wonder what happens when a state goes bankrupt? Can the federal government bailout a state and then set rules for it, like the can a business??? Just curious about the rules here on this one.

California set to issue IOUs as fiscal crisis weighs

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55O07Q20090625?sp=true

By:slacker on 6/25/09 at 10:22

Loner, I guarantee you the dem. politicians, aren't sitting around lamenting their first class medical coverage. They are playing to their constiuency same as the repubs.
You know that.

By:chiefpayne568 on 6/25/09 at 10:29

Well, unemployment in Tennessee isn't too good...but state deficit and foreclosures could be worse.

Where does your state rank?
Americans everywhere are feeling the recession's pain – some more than others.